Help please! A4 Cab boot won't open :(

[wywywywy]

Hi all,

Basically I couple of days ago I noticed that the boot on my A4 B6 cabriolet was behaving strangely. The electrics wouldn't unlock/open it and it needed more force than usual to open with the key. So I thought, ah I'll have a look on Sunday then, probably just needed some WD40.

So today I took the trim panel off, checked everything and sprayed a bit of WD40. At first everything seemed okay. However after couple of goes, now the boot won't open! Not with the electrics, not with the key. When I turn the key nothing happens.

Now the question is, is there any way I can gain access to it so that I can manually unlock the boot from behind?

Please help!

Thanks.

 

[hades-]

no outside only
we had 1 in a few mth ago and had to do damage to get it open

 

[wywywywy]

Thinking about it, with this being a cabriolet, is there any way I can manually open the boot the other way round?

 

[Cabbyfan]

Have to say I thought there was a manual release but maybe I'm thinking of the fuel filler cap.....

 

[hades-]

your thinking of the fuel cap and u have to get in the boot for that

 

[hades-]

Thinking about it, with this being a cabriolet, is there any way I can manually open the boot the other way round?

what other way around ?
have you made sure the key lock is in the right position ?
horizontal will lock it out and the fob wont open it
vertical will let the fob open it from button

 

[wywywywy]

Yes I have tried both horizontal and vertical. I think the catch itself is broken.
When I turn the key, nothing happens and there is no resistance.

What I was saying is, maybe when the roof is half-open and the "deck" is lifted up, there might be enough space to access the boot catch?
Unfortunately I can't try it right now as it is raining (again) and dark!

 

[Cabbyfan]

If you open the boot lid and the cab deck cover is open you will more than likely damage your paintwork ! User book expressly says done ever open the deck cover and boot at the same time.....

I would try asking your local Audi garage if its a known fault, the tech guys always know the way round this stuff.....

 

[snowball1969]

doesn't your boot lid have a warning triangle cover built in as in my avant I have a manual release which sits behind it, i appreciate that my car is an estate not a cab

Paul

 

[rjm180]

As far as i'm aware you cant get access to the boot with the roof half open (under the rear shelf) and as said before you can't open the boot with the roof open either. I wonder if you could get through the ski hatch though but that might involve damaging the ski bag and even with the ski bag removed are you gonna be able to see or do anything through this opening that might rectify the fault. Think it might have to be a visit to Audi.

 

[Iyole]

I had a similar problem with my Cab. Fortunatley I was able to get the boot lid open to rectify the prob.

My suggestion would be to go thruough the ski hatch.... this being a material it can always be sewn up again. You are not going to be able to go the roof half open route etc
as there are sensors that prevent the boot being opened if the roof is in any way not fully open or close... (this might also be your problem)...

If you can get through the ski hatch then refer to my ride thread Audi Club (South Africa) - Iyole's Cab page 8 for more info on the part that could
be causing the problem. If you can reach the end of the arm that is nearest the catch and unclip the arm from the catch.... clips out easily...then you might be able to get the boot
lid open. The faullty part as indicated in my thread seizes and causes problems with the operation of the boot lid.

After all that I still tend to think it is something to do with the soft top sensor being faulty....It thinks the top is not totally closed or open.....hence not allowing you to open the boot.
Have no idea where this sensor is located but I would expect one to be on the top of the windscreen where it clips into the Frame when the top is up....but where the one is for
when the top is down ????

Hope you resolve the problem..... keep us posted.

 

[hades-]

ubove if it was a sensor and yes they do fail
you would get the flashing hood light on the dash and you would beable to unlock manualy still

 

[wywywywy]

Just an update.

Managed to open the boot, by manually raising the roof half way through (to get the deck open), and then poking the lock from the inside using an umbrella to unlock it.

Turns out the piece of plastic that links the unlocking mechanism to the lock itself is broken. Luckily I have a spare for this piece of plastic, because another one of these locks failed a months ago for another reason. So right now everything seems good. Let's hope it stays this way.

 

[wywywywy]

Actually I do have another problem!

While I had the boot open, I was trying to replace the rear lights with the B7 ones. However, on of LHS one, the bolt could not be undone - it just spins itself
Now what's the best way to undo this bolt please? The other side is okay.

Thanks.

 

[CHRIS555]

Actually I do have another problem!

While I had the boot open, I was trying to replace the rear lights with the B7 ones. However, on of LHS one, the bolt could not be undone - it just spins itself
Now what's the best way to undo this bolt please? The other side is okay.

Thanks.

Let the fun begin!! This is an extremely common issue - easily resolved though as below - happy reading!

http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/a4-a4-...s/104699-number-plate-light-bulb-holders.html

 

[Audiaudi]

I had a similar problem with my Cab. Fortunatley I was able to get the boot lid open to rectify the prob.

My suggestion would be to go thruough the ski hatch.... this being a material it can always be sewn up again. You are not going to be able to go the roof half open route etc
as there are sensors that prevent the boot being opened if the roof is in any way not fully open or close... (this might also be your problem)...

If you can get through the ski hatch then refer to my ride thread Audi Club (South Africa) - Iyole's Cab page 8 for more info on the part that could
be causing the problem. If you can reach the end of the arm that is nearest the catch and unclip the arm from the catch.... clips out easily...then you might be able to get the boot
lid open. The faullty part as indicated in my thread seizes and causes problems with the operation of the boot lid.

After all that I still tend to think it is something to do with the soft top sensor being faulty....It thinks the top is not totally closed or open.....hence not allowing you to open the boot.
Have no idea where this sensor is located but I would expect one to be on the top of the windscreen where it clips into the Frame when the top is up....but where the one is for
when the top is down ????

Hope you resolve the problem..... keep us posted.

Does the inside grey panel need to be damaged to get to the hatch on the inside?